Debbie Reynolds ready for O.C. radio appearance, show

Debbie Reynolds may be falling in love with Orange County. One could almost hear her in an interview singing "What a Glorious Feeling" to be returning to the O.C. for a Jan. 15 radio program with a studio audience in Mission Viejo and a concert Jan. 22 at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.

"It was easy to get me to do it," the actress said in a phone interview from her Los Angeles home. She first played The Coach House one year ago, offering two sold-out shows featuring what she calls "a musical comedy evening" of material ranging from impressions, a 1940s medley, a tribute to Judy Garland, and possibly a country music set. "I never know until I get down there. It is always a little different. Last year it poured rain. It was kind of a wild time," she said.

"Debbie is just one of the funniest people I have seen," said Lila Sadeghi, Coach House publicist. "She was witty and quick and had a cute way with her performances. We are looking at a packed house again."

Reynolds seems to be enjoying radio, too. She will take audience questions in the 11 a.m. hour of the KSBR/88.5 FM "Breakfast with Gary and Kelly" show on Jan. 15 at the Norman P. Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo, in the Sycamore Room. Doors open at 9:45 a.m. for the audience. Admission is free, but seating is limited. The program will also be streamed on www.ksbr.org. For more information on tickets, go to the station's website.

"Debbie is such a great character and her life and career are so rich with terrific stories that she's liable to take us in all sorts of different directions. I'll use a wireless mic so I can have the option to wander through the audience and just sort of play it by ear," said Gary Bergeson, who co-hosts with Kelly Bennett. Reynolds did the show one year ago, but it was from her dance studio office in North Hollywood.

In addition to KSBR, Reynolds is scheduled to be a guest DJ on "My Turn," airing at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16 on KSWD/100.3 FM "My Sound LA." "She's welcome to play whatever she likes," said KSWD program director Dave Beasing.

Reynolds, 78, has a long list of credits, ranging from "Singin' In The Rain" and "Tammy and the Bachelor" to "Will & Grace" on TV. Yes, I did have a crush on her when I first saw "Tammy." I told her as soon as I saw the movie, I raced out to get the title song on a Coral 45 record, which I still have today. "That's sweet," she said.

Reynolds' collection is much more extensive, of course, and efforts to create a museum for it all have failed for various business reasons, she said. "I am going to stop collecting and I am putting it all up for auction May 26 and 27 in Los Angeles with the auction firm Profiles in History.

"You sometimes have to let your dreams go. I have been trying since 1970 to share my collection with the public. I couldn't get the backing. It's just a shame. I am sad I couldn't have achieved that dream come true. It was a very hard decision," she said.

For information on Coach House tickets, call (949) 496-8930. The Jan. 22 show starts at 8 p.m. The website is www.thecoachhouse.com, but ticket requests on the site go straight to Ticketmaster.

DR. LAURA SHOW

Laura Schlessinger's Dr. Laura show has now moved to Sirius, but I asked her to reflect on signing off on terrestrial radio on Dec. 31. She e-mailed, "Friday was profoundly moving. So many men and women called to relate stories to me of the wonderful things that came from the changes they made in their lives based upon listening to me for years ... some for decades.

"The experience was a stunning contrast to all the ugly and nasty stuff that activist groups and angry types use to define me ... and discount me. I went into Friday's show a bit 'down' and came out of it higher than high.

"I used the Beatles song, 'You say goodbye and I say hello', as a transition message: I was leaving terrestrial radio ... but not leaving my post. The folks at Sirius XM could not be more helpful, kind, or supportive. It reminds me of the good ole' days of radio when all program directors and general managers valued their talent and their on-air content.

"The feeling I am left with, in this transition to satellite radio, is one of incredible freedom. It is a peaceful feeling – yet exuberant at the same time."

If you enjoy classic movies and music, join Manny Pacheco and I on our new KSPA/1510 AM program, "Forgotten Hollywood: The Radio Program." It airs Sundays at 3 p.m. The first one-hour program will feature Academy Award-winning music. The show is also streamed at www.thesparadio.com.

LOW-POWER FMS

President Obama has signed a community radio bill which means, according to Radio-Info.com, it could be possible for the FCC to "eventually license 1,000 or more new Low Power FMs, but first it must figure out the engineering (removing third-adjacent channel protection for full-power broadcasters) and then issue rules and schedule a filing window."

'YOUR TURN' DJ

KSWD/100.3 FM introduces "Your Turn," a new show hosted by listener DJs, at 7 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 9). First up is Richard Tohl, who says on the www.thesoundla.com site, "I live in Encino with my dog Marley, am a father of two, and I work in real estate. Back in May 2009, I suggested to The Sound that they give average music fans like you and me the opportunity to Guest DJ. It took a while, but they finally ran with the idea."

PASSING PARADE

Missing from last week's list of those we lost in 2010: Tom Dixon, Daryl Gates, and Jack Wells.

STATION BREAKS

KOST/103.5 FM was No. 1 in the December ratings with its all-Christmas music format. ...

Is it just me, or is Glenn Beck, locally heard 6-9 a.m. weekdays on KRLA/870 AM, sounding more evangelical lately? Stations in New York and Philly have dropped his program. ...

Doug McIntyre's Red Eye Radio, aired locally on KABC/790 AM and syndicated nationally, is a huge hit on New York's WABC, doubling the overnight audience in less than a year. He was No. 1 overall in his time period, No. 1 among men 25-54 and adults 25-54. ...

John and Larry Gassman host Same Time, Same Station. It airs on Yesterday USA at www.live365.com. The nostalgic radio shows are posted at www.vintageradioplace.com. This weekend: Frank Bresee's 1994 interview with the late announcer Fred Foy.